Parched

Oil Apocalypse #4

by Lou Cadle

Ten years after the end of oil, no one has the bullets left to shoot at Dev and Sierra or their neighbors. But the climate seems determined to kill them with drought and relentless heat. As the irreplaceable technologies of the civilized world break down, survival becomes more and more of a struggle--and more of an imperative, as they have a daughter, Zoe, to care for now.

When a battered family escaping a terrible situation moves in down the hill at their grain farm, the neighbors have a tough choice to make. Do they drive the strangers away, doing what is expedient? Or do they lend them a helping hand? The first choice won't guarantee their survival, but the second choice will cost them the last shreds of their humanity and Zoe her innocent trust in her family.

Genres: Apocalyptic

253 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 22, 2018

About the author

Lou Cadle grew up in Tornado Alley near the New Madrid fault, was in San Francisco's 1989 earthquake, watched minor eruptions of Mt. St. Helens from close up, and hiked several times over Kilauea's active lava flows. Cadle currently lives in haboob country.

Reviews

[Sasch Stormcloak · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Overall, Parched is a good book, basing most of its argument on the lives of the survivors 10 years after oil ran out. Perhaps some more action is missing, as the novel is practically a description of how they have been improvising with what they have as everything else kept running out or broke, leaving a few moments to introduce a tension with other groups of survivors that never materializes in any action. The introduction of this new group of survivors would have been a great opportunity to describe the state of other areas after the disappearance of gasoline, but this never happens, and the few interactions between the two groups are based on simply hiding information from each other. The novel also continues following Sierra’s mental development and how she kept blaming herself for what happened so many years ago, but in some aspects, and especially in the way she interacts with Zoe, she still acts like a teenager. Towards the end of the novel, one realizes what happens to one of the characters, leaving an emotional but bittersweet ending for one of the group's most important survivors.

[Todd Charlton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of Parched had to do with the business of survival. That being said most of the book wasn't very riveting. We had a band of survivors crash the houses up the road where our heroes had some crops. After ten years weapons have no ammo and the confrontation is verbal and mistrustful. One of their number is pregnant and Kelly helps but alas the mother doesn't make it.
The big drama is a bush fire that threatens everything but Curt and Sierra and Dev and Pilar et al fight off the flames. A real bush fire would have killed them all lets face it.
So the book wasn't the greatest until a wonderful, moving, heartfelt ending.

[Clay S · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay, I guess. Kind of pointless. We rejoin our original story about ten years after the last book (I think) and catch up on what's been happening and then there is new drama, but overall it's rather pointless and uninteresting. There really wasn't any reason to write this book, other than to try and make some money. If you really need another book from the Oil Apocalypse series, here it is, but it's not really very good or necessary.

[Pam Shelton-Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason, it took me a bit to get into this book, though the series has been very good. Sierra is just not my favorite. I did like the issues around a new group of desperate but good people coming to an area nearby and how would you balance your humanity against the low margin of error for your own survival. I was very sad about one of the characters that was one of my favorites.

[Miss Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite of the series

This was my favourite of the series as it dealt more with climate change and health instead of violence. I felt the author really stepped up a skill level with these last two books of the series and I enjoyed the complexity and unpredictability of the characters and their responses to things.

[shawn murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished book 3, Parched, in Lou Cadle’s oil Apocalypse series. 10 years after everything stopped and folks had to fend for themselves. Ammunition is running low and life is only in your general area as travel is so difficult. I don’t know if I would survive. Busting my glasses could be a nightmare with no replacements.

[Adam Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book in Series

I think this was my favorite book in the series so far, and it's an excellent post-apocalyptic survival series. Great characters, realistic and interesting story.